City showcases wastewater plant, need for upgrade

Kirksville City Council and R-III School Board toured facility ahead of crucial $18 million bond issue for wastewater upgrade on April 2

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By Taylor Muller/@TaylorMullerKDE

Kirksville Daily Express - Kirksville, MO

By Taylor Muller/@TaylorMullerKDE

Posted Mar. 26, 2013 at 12:00 PM

By Taylor Muller/@TaylorMullerKDE
Posted Mar. 26, 2013 at 12:00 PM

Kirksville

The Kirksville City Council is hoping the R-III School Board is in its corner as it makes the case for why voters should approve April 2’s $18 million wastewater bond issue, providing the school board with a tour of the facility Monday afternoon.

The two entities met for their twice-yearly meeting to discuss items of mutual interest with the Council showing off both the wastewater facility and the Kirksville Regional Airport.

“Our discharge is important,” said Public Works Director John Buckwalter as he guided the Council and School Board. “It ends up in Bear Creek and the Salt River and eventually in Mark Twain Lake. It’s not just important for Kirksville but beyond.”

The School Board got an up close view, and smell, of the facility, with Board member Jeff Brawner commenting that the plant’s proximity to the R-III campus brought some of its odors in the wind.

“We get some of this up in our neighborhood, depending on the wind, along Jamison Street,” he said.

Buckwalter noted the planned upgrades would reduce any nuisance odors from the facility which processes the area’s sewage and waste water.

The City Council was in full campaign mode, with Mayor Richard Detweiler telling the School Board that one of the major reasons for the upgrade, other than the mandated environmental aspects, is to allow for both residential and industrial growth and expansion.

“This will allow us to expand for a new company,” he said. “We want to position ourselves, so if a company sized like Kraft Foods wanted to come in, we wouldn’t have to say, ‘Come back in five years.’”

April 2’s ballot will feature the revenue bond request for $18 million for both design and constructions costs of the upgrade. The facility is required by 2015 to have the upgrades in place or risk losing its operating permit.

School Board member Matt Copeland, examining what he called the “worst-case scenario,” asked what happens if voters do not approve the measure next week.

Buckwalter said the city will still proceed forward with the process, instead forced to pursue other funding methods like lease-purchase or other bonds that would be likely more expensive. Whether voters approve the measure or not, they can expect at least a 10 percent increase in water and sewage rates a year for the next five years.